


Bargain bin Marius

by yukiawison



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: College AU, Fluff, M/M, courf is awkward and marius is dorky
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-06
Updated: 2014-12-06
Packaged: 2018-02-28 09:50:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,211
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2727839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yukiawison/pseuds/yukiawison
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>or Courfeyrac does stupid things around guys he likes</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bargain bin Marius

"I’m very busy, so if you’re going to stay you better help," Combeferre grumbled. 

Courfeyrac shifted a few boxes of books around beneath the counter, trying to look productive. “Whaddya mean? I’m helping.” He looked at him with feigned shock.

"Yeah, yeah, just go through that box and sort out the books that are in better shape.

"I’d be glad to your excellence," Courf finished with a bow, and pulled the box onto the counter.

Combeferre had a nice little book shop on the edge of campus, selling mostly used with the occasional copy of the latest best seller. He’d made quite a name for himself buying and selling textbooks so struggling students didn’t have to forgo food to pass their classes.

Ferre was known to get his hands on the latest installments of most mysteries and sci-fi novels, stumping book worms and competitors alike.

Courf thumbed through a tattered copy of Alice in Wonderland, sighing. “Do you even get business this time of day?” He asked. He was only loafing around because his only afternoon class was canceled, and Ferre’s shop was right by the Musain.

"I have a few regulars who stop by around this time. Ralph the book collector passes by here every day after work to see if I’ve uncovered anything rare. And there’s always Marius…besides," he continued, looking up from his laptop. "I use this time to catch up on work."

"Sure, sure, looking at book reviews on Amazon and reading the New Yorker seems like work to me,” Courf grinned.

Combeferre ignored him and checked his watch. “Marius should be along shortly,” he said. “Hope it doesn’t rain.”

"Which one is Marius again?" Courfeyrac asked, stacking the sorted books into a shaky tower.

"Bargain bin Marius, he comes in every Thursday afternoon before his French class, and chooses the oddest thing from my bargain books."  
Courf hummed in approval. “Must have a lot of books then, this Marius.”

It was sprinkling now and as Courfeyrac hauled up another dusty cardboard box, it started to pour. “Poor guy,” he muttered.

Marius showed up approximately two minutes later, thoroughly drenched, with a beat up backpack and dorky smile plastered on his freckled face.

"You alright Marius? Want to borrow an umbrella?" Combeferre asked him at the door.

"Little late for that," Marius replied, shaking his damp hair. Courfeyrac chose this moment to pop up from behind the counter, and immediately wished he’s stayed hidden because Marius was perhaps the cutest guy he’d ever laid eyes on. He tried to smile, act casual, but instead knocked over one of the book stacks.

"Shit, that wasn’t supposed to…" Marius was staring at him, head cocked to one side with interest.

"Who is…?"

"Courfeyrac, this is Marius. Marius this is my friend Courfeyrac."

Courf righted the stack of books and extended a hand. “It’s a pleasure.”

"Likewise," Marius replied, wiping his palm on his pant leg before putting it in Courfeyrac’s.

"I’m not usually so clumsy," Courf stuttered, gesturing to the fallen book stack.

"That’s alright, I’m plenty clumsy," Marius replied.

Courfeyrac laughed nervously, and Combeferre shot him a look.

Marius looked between them inquisitively. “Well I’ll look around for a bit then,” he said.

When Marius was across the store, bent over the bargain bin and out of earshot, Combeferre grabbed Courfeyrac by the arm, and the two ducked under the counter.

"What the hell was that?" he whispered.

"What was what?" Courf replied, looking dazed.

"The books," he paused for effect. "The laugh Courfeyrac. That is not your normal laugh.”

"Is too," he protested.

"Please, your laugh doesn’t normally sound like a dying whale. What’s going on?"

Courf flushed. “I don’t know, I’m usually boss at flirting. He’s just…”

"Wait what? That was…you were…" Combeferre nearly lost it, covering his mouth to keep from laughing out loud. "That’s hilarious Courf."

"Well you didn’t tell me he was cute."

"Marius…you’re a blushing idiot around Marius Pontmercy." He took off his glasses and wiped the lenses, shaking his head.

"Um."

Combeferre popped up effortlessly, but Courfeyrac hit his head on the counter top.

"Will that be all for you?" Combeferre asked, as Marius handed him the book.

"Yeah," he replied, as Courfeyrac popped up, rubbing his bruised head.

Courf peeked over Ferre’s shoulder to see Knitting for Beginners with a dollar price sticker.

"Learning how to knit?" 

"It’s a gift for a friend," Marius replied, swinging his backpack off his shoulder. He handed over a crumpled dollar bill, and shoved the book into the bag. "Well I’d better be going."

"See you next week," Combeferre replied.

Next week it was a flimsy poetry anthology, the week after that a coffee stained copy of Murder on the Orient Express. 

"Hey Ferre, how much for the French to English dictionary?" 

Combeferre took up the book Courfeyrac handed him and flipped through the pages. “Hmm, it’s a nice copy, hardback too. Let’s say $4.50.”

Courfeyrac looked at him pitifully. “But it’s got the title page missing, and a stain on page 16.”

Combeferre narrowed his eyes, confused. “Okay, knock off 50 cents.”

"You sure we can’t put it in the bargain bin? Seems to me it belongs in the bargain bin," Courf said, taking the book back and clutching it to his chest.

"If you want Marius to have the book so badly, why don’t you just buy it for him."

"It’s weird. He’ll think I’m a creep buying a book for someone I barely know."

"His birthday’s coming up."

"How do you even know that," Courfeyrac whined.

"He’s a customer. I keep tabs on all my regular customers."

"Who’s creepy now?"

"Buy him the book, it’s only $4.50."

"$4.00."

"$4.50, would you like a bag for that?"

***

"Happy birthday Marius," Combeferre said, as Marius ran a hand through his adorable windswept hair.

"Um…I’m not sure how you knew that but thanks," he grinned. "Is Courfeyrac here?"

Combeferre shook his head. “Not today, he has class.”

"What’s his major?" Marius blurted out instinctively. Ever since he’d met Courfeyrac he’d wanted to know everything about him. Like if his smile was that gorgeous around everyone, and what kind of books he read, and if he was single.

But Marius wasn’t good at small talk, and he could barely pay for his book without blushing like an idiot.

"Psychology," Combeferre replied, mouth quirking up on one side. These two had it bad. "Anything else you’d like to know?"

"No, no sorry," Marius squeaked. 

"No problem, Courf did leave you a present though."

"He what?"

Combeferre reached under the counter to retrieve the brown paper package. Courfeyrac hadn’t the nerve to give it to Marius himself, and so was going to class for once.

"He didn’t have to…"

"No he didn’t, but here we are," Combeferre handed him the package and with a nod headed to the back room to look over another box of books.

Marius held the dictionary tight to his chest all the way back to his place.

"Cm’on Marius, let’s get a move on!" Eponine had let Cosette curl her hair for the evening, and it was already wild and unmanageable.

"Do I really have to wear this?" Marius was comfortable in his sweatshirts and jeans, he didn’t see himself as much of the fashionable type. But Cosette and Eponine had bought him a birthday outfit for their night out, and he didn’t want to let them down.

"Yes dummy, " Cosette piped up, her red lipstick making her smile even more mischievous. "Now get out here."

They’d chosen a blue velvet blazer and crisp white button down, on top of dark skinny jeans that hugged Marius’s legs tighter than any of his Goodwill pants.

"Hot," Eponine grinned, giving a thumbs up. 

"Yes, we are most definitely getting you a man tonight," Cosette finished.

"That’s not the point of…"

"It most certainly is my friend," Eponine cut in. "It’d been way too long Marius, you need to get out from under that rock you’ve been hiding under."

"Exactly," Cosette added. "That, is the point of tonight."

***

Courfeyrac had already had too much to drink when he thought he saw Marius. And boy if that was Marius he looked too good to be true. Courf nearly spilled his drink on his sweater.

"I’ll get us some drinks," Cosette chirped. Eponine grabbed a table, but Marius saw a familiar face across the bar.

"Courfeyrac!" Courfeyrac looked up, face flushed, mouth spreading into a grin when he saw him.

Marius pushed through the crowd. “Thank you, for the book,” he said.

"It’s no problem," Courfeyrac replied, looking Marius up and down. "You look really nice," he said.

"Thanks," Marius grinned, somehow it was easier, in the crowded room, where Courfeyrac was clearly drunk.

Courfeyrac opened his mouth, as if to say something more, but Cosette came up behind Marius and tapped him on the shoulder. 

"Let’s go, I got the drinks," she said, shoving a drink in his hand.

"I’d better go," he said.

"Sure," Courf replied, resting his chin in his palm.

***

"I cock-blocked you! I didn’t mean to!" Cosette sounded horrified, and Eponine couldn’t stop laughing.

"It was that guy from the book shop right? The one you’ve managed to develop a giant crush on yet have hardly talked to."

"It was him! Oh my god I’m ruined," Cosette put her face in her hands.

"Hey, it’s not your fault. Ep is exaggerating, nothing was going to happen." They were walking out of the bar when Marius heard him.

"Marius!" He whipped around in time to see Courfeyrac rushing after him.

Cosette and Eponine kept going. “Courfeyrac what are you…?”

Then Courfeyrac’s lips were on his.

Courfeyrac didn’t know what he was doing. His chest was all warm and he’d clearly had way too much because kissing Marius didn’t even seem weird. And remarkably Marius was kissing him back.

He pulled away. “I’m sorry. Shit, I’m really sorry.” He was gone before Marius could even protest.

***

"I screwed up Ferre."

"What did you do this time?" Combeferre was stacking books onto a shelf, Courf cross-legged on the floor, handing him books as he continued to stack.

"I kinda got drunk and made out with Marius as he was coming out of a bar."

"You did what?!"

"Well I only made out with him a little. And everything’s a little fuzzy, but I think he kissed me back."

"And have you talked to him since then?"

"Well no…we’re not really friends Ferre."

"I guess you aren’t. I guess you really made out with a stranger against his will Courf."

"Oh my god I feel bad enough!"

"Well I should say so Courf."

The door opened, they flipped around. Marius was there, box of books in his hands, face red and tear stained.

"I um, Combeferre can I return all these?"

"What? Marius what’s wrong," Courfeyrac stood up.

"I uh…I kind of got evicted this morning," he said. "My grandfather and I…well it’s a long story," he held up the box. "I don’t have room for all these in my car."

"You’re living in your car?" Combeferre replied.

"My friends live in the dorms, and they uh…well there’s no space for me and they could get in trouble with their roommates. I just don’t…"

"You can live with me," Courfeyrac didn’t register the words coming out of his mouth until it was too late.

"What?" Marius looked at him, wide eyed.

"Yes, what was that?" Combeferre said, nudging him.

"I have an extra room, if you want it. I don’t mind. Hate to see you return all those books."

Marius took a deep breath. This couldn’t be happening. “Um, okay…” he said softly, barely aware of what he’d just done.

"Excuse me, what is going on?" Combeferre looked between the two of them in shock. "First of all you barely know each other, second of all isn’t there some sort of drunken make out session you should be addressing…?"

"We only made out a little," Marius said. "And I liked it. Until he ran away of course."

"I…I didn’t mean to," Courfeyrac stuttered.

"Kiss me or run away?"

"Both," he said. "I mean I’d liked to have kissed you sober. I wouldn’t run away then."

"Good," Marius said.

"Good?" Courfeyrac replied, perplexed.

"I like to know a thing or two about a new roommate before I move in."

"And what exactly do you know about Courfeyrac?" Combeferre sighed. "May I again stress that you barely know each other."

"I know that he’s clumsy when he’s flustered, that he’s a psychology major who skips the class he has with my friend Cosette to hang around this bookshop, I know he has the most adorable smile I’ve ever seen, and," he added. "I know that he likes kissing me."

Courfeyrac grinned. “You forgot something.”

"What?"

"You know that I’m courteous enough to carry your things to your new place," he said, taking the box from him and pressing a quick kiss to his lips.

Combeferre smoothed back his hair. “That’s great you two, now would you get out of my store before this gets any more like a crappy romance novel.”

They were happy to.


End file.
